


Akatsuki wo Matsu Made ~Waiting for the Dawn~

by koinuchan81



Series: Takumi-kun Series Perfect Edition vol.1 [3]
Category: Takumi-kun Series
Genre: BL, Boys' Love, Light Novel, M/M, Short Story, Takumi-kun series perfect edition, before they get together, first year, original by Gotoh Shinobu, pining Gii, translation of a Japanese novel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-23 04:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23838811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koinuchan81/pseuds/koinuchan81
Summary: Gii finds himself roped into the search for a legendary shrine on the school grounds. Among his rivals in the search is an upperclassman who has designs on Hayama Takumi. How will Gii deal with the jealousy, when Takumi won't even give him the time of day?
Relationships: Hayama Takumi/Saki Giichi
Series: Takumi-kun Series Perfect Edition vol.1 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1124238
Kudos: 5





	Akatsuki wo Matsu Made ~Waiting for the Dawn~

He’d never considered unrequited love painful.

“Gii!”

Having been called, he stopped in the middle of the staircase. He was in the unpopular building number one after school.

It was the end of May, and the breeze was fragrant. The summer was sneaking up on them, and though it was the evening now, it was still quite bright out.

The voice had filtered down from the floor above like sunlight through the trees, but when he looked up, there was nobody there.

Oh, dear.

“Again?”

In the few months since he’d entered this school, he was often called and made to stop for no reason in the school or outdoors, by upperclassmen or those in the same grade as him.

“I just wanted to try calling your name,” they would say, grinning as they gave their excuse again and again.

They didn’t mean any harm. They were just curious.

Whether they meant any harm or not, it was really making him stand out. While he acknowledged that it was troublesome, it was also a losing battle to get them to stop.

So, he brushed off the voice. From right to left, as always.

Without looking to find who had called out to him, he continued going down the staircase all the way to the first floor, crossed the hall and headed to his final destination in its separate building, the staff room.

He thought to himself as he walked quickly down the hallway.

‘Gii!’

That voice.

“It sounded an awful lot like Hayama…”

Even if it was just someone else whose voice sounded like his, it made him happy.

Because there was no way it was him.

There was no way that Hayama Takumi would call out to stop him.

And even less chance that he would call him ‘Gii’ when doing so.

He had never thought that unrequited love was painful.

...As long as he knew that he wasn’t even in his line of sight.

*****

“The Fox’s Hot Spring

Once upon a time, in the remote mountains, there lived a fox couple.

One day, a newborn human baby was abandoned just outside their den.

The foxes were overjoyed at the chance to enjoy a soft, delicious meal, but they decided they would eat it later when it laughed with happiness upon seeing them.

Kon, as they named the baby, grew up docile and beautiful, blessed by the plenty of the mountains.

One day, while Kon was out collecting berries as usual, she came across a youth who had been attacked by something and was wounded. Kon gathered the bloody youth up and carried him back to the foxes’ den.

The fox couple wouldn’t even look at the mortally wounded youth, but Kon carried hot water from the hot spring that bubbled near their den, and saw to the youth’s wounds.

That hot spring could stop bleeding, cure sickness, end hunger, heal the heart, and do many other wonderful things.

Kon’s eager nursing paid off, and the youth woke from his deep sleep, and immediately fell in love with Kon.

Feeling much better, and knowing that people would be worried about him, since he was the only son of the largest landholder two ridges to the north, the youth said that he must hurry home.

The youth wanted to take Kon with him, but no matter what he said, the fox couple’s heads didn’t nod yes.

With no other option, the youth left the mountain alone.

Kon cried every day from loving the youth, but lacked the courage to leave the mountain. Kon knew how the people would react to a fox that came to live amongst them. Kon thought that she was a fox like her parents.

Kon’s tears flowed endlessly, and eventually her body began to collapse in on itself, leaving only a tiny flower behind.

The fox couple moved Kon’s flower to the side of the mountain that could see the land to the north. There, Kon could bloom as she pined for the youth.

The End”

“Nakayama-sensei, may I make a copy of this, please?” Misu Arata asked, thin book in hand. The title was ‘Local Folk Tales’.

The librarian, Ms. Nakayama, looked up from where she’d been glaring at the computer screen behind the lending desk for hours.

“Oh, that one?” She smiled brightly, the furrow between her eyes erased for a moment, taking the book from Misu.

It was a very bright reaction.

Misu had a bad feeling about it, so he asked, “Is there something special about this book?”

Ignoring Misu’s question, Ms. Nakayama replied with a question of her own, “You, too?” She flipped through the pages with interest. “Is this book so interesting?”

Despite having a childish name like ‘Folk Tales’, the book itself didn’t seem particularly aimed at children. The book was rather plain, and the paper that it was made of was a little rough. The cover illustration was not colorful, and it really looked like something that was self-published.

In the corner of the cover was a red stamp that read ‘Reference Only’, meaning that even if someone wanted to borrow it, they weren’t allowed to take it out of the library.

“I have no idea, since I haven’t read it yet,” Misu smiled. “You said ‘too’, so that means somebody else also wanted this book?” he continued.

“Hmm… That’s right. Day before yesterday, Gii-kun brought it out from the storage area, also wanting to copy it.”

“Heh…”

Nestled in the mountains, far from civilization, was a boarding school called Shidou Academy High School. It was a school with a long history, and originally only the sons of very good families were allowed in with their attendants, but now there were many sons of rather ordinary families there, sitting in the desks next to the elites. Of course, without any attendants.

The stink of bourgeoisie was rather diluted nowadays, but this year there was an absurdly wealthy new student. Saki Giichi was new this year, same as Misu, and went by ‘Gii.” He was here studying abroad from the US, and was so rich he was famous. 

It goes without saying that with that kind of background, he was exceptionally good looking, very bright, had the charisma to be a great leader, but to top it all off, he never acted like he was better than his peers, and was always thoughtful and frank with his friends. There was really nothing to dislike about him.

His shining presence not only attracted attention and affection, it made everyone (with a few exceptions) stumble all over themselves, as though they were under a spell, trying to be his friend… or even more intimate.

One of those exceptions was Misu Arata, whose finely tuned mild smile never slipped as he lowered his eyes to the book with mixed feelings. So that meant that Gii also figured it out. That Gii was also participating in the game.

“Well, that’s unexpected…”

Saki Giichi, who disliked Sagara in general. Honestly, he had just assumed that Gii would turn him down even if he’d been invited to play. 

However, the ringleader of this game, Sagara Takahiro, former student class president, was currently at home to focus on studying for the university entrance exams, and not at Shidou.

“What other books did Saki look at?”

It was a little unfair, but this was a battle for information.

“This one is for reference only, so he just copied it, but otherwise he just checked out your standard folktale and local history books.”

“Huh…”

“I guess maybe since he was born in the U.S., Japanese history and traditional stories must seem exotic and interesting.”

“Yes, probably.”

Gii, whose Japanese was even better than your average Japanese person’s, wasn’t likely to have had such an adorable motive, but Misu didn’t feel the need to correct her.

Anyway.

It seemed that he’d just taken anything he could get his hands on.

Oh, well.

*****

“Brr. It’s so cold.”

Although the classrooms were all heated by hot water pipes drawing from a hot spring, and were therefore quite toasty, Katakura Toshihisa had his head pulled down into his clothing as far as he could, like a turtle, turning to his neighboring student and asking with a shaky voice, “Hey, Takumi, do you have any change?”

Hayama Takumi stopped preparing to leave classroom 1-C and turned to him, “I do.”

“Can I borrow some? I’ll pay you back when we get to our room.”

“I only have a little over a hundred yen, though.”

“Yeah, that’s enough, that’s enough.”

“What… Toshihisa, what’s wrong?”

Even though it was the middle of winter, Toshihisa was usually full of energy, but now he was trembling.

“I want to buy a hot drink at a vending machine on the way home.”

“I have no problem lending the money to you, but if we go back to the dorm, there’s free hot water and we have instant coffee in our room.”

“No, no, I want to drink it as we walk. I want to drink it on the way. It’s snowing out. I want to drink a hot drink while walking in the snow.”

“You want to go straight home? What about archery club? Is there no practice today?”

“My joints hurt, and I think I’m getting a cold, so I’ll pass for today.”

“I see.”

Now that he mentioned it, he did look like he had a cold.

“But if you really want to warm up, you should buy a disposable hot pack, not a drink.”

“The school store doesn’t sell hot packs. I’d have to go to the shop in the cafeteria,” Toshihisa pouted.

“Ah, I see.”

“The cafeteria is past the dorm, too.”

“You’re right,” Takumi nodded, taking out his change purse and lining up several coins on Toshihisa’s desk… not passing them by hand.

Toshihisa picked up each coin and placed them on his palm.

“Thank you. You’re a lifesaver, having money with you.”

“I was going to buy a notebook at the school store during lunch. I ended up not going, though.”

“And thus, I am saved,” Toshihisa laughed. “Oh, were you planning to buy it now?” He asked, suddenly worried.

“No, it’s fine. Class is over for today, so I can just buy it tomorrow.,” Takumi said.

“I’ll be careful not to give you my cold,” Toshihisa laughed lightly, making a peace sign.

The two had just stood up to leave, when suddenly, “Stop!” 

Akaike Shouzou had appeared out of nowhere.

Though he had the tough job of being on the disciplinary committee this semester, same as last, he carried it off lightly, with a composure that belied the fact that he was the same age as them.

“Hayama, you’re on library duty for the next three days,” he stated, then walked away.

Toshihisa stared after him blankly. “Takumi, are you on the library committee?” He asked, bewildered.

“...No.”

“Then why is he suddenly asking you?”

“I don’t really understand how they decide library duty.”

“Me, neither, but this feels a bit random. It’s okay, though, Takumi, to not take him seriously. No big deal if you play hooky. There’s never anybody in the library, anyway. And the librarian, Ms. Nakayama, is there, so she can handle it.”

“Yeah…” Takumi nodded, absently looking around the classroom. There were a lot of classmates preparing to leave. Akaike Shouzou was with whom he would consider his best friend, Gii, walking out the door with their bags, laughing about something.

Suddenly, Gii’s gaze left Shouzou and was directed their way. Though he knew Gii wasn’t looking at him, Takumi hurriedly averted his eyes.

Even if it was by accident, he didn’t want to meet his eyes. Didn’t want his voice to be heard, either. 

“Toshihisa, I’m going to go, just in case,” he said quietly, surprising Toshihisa.

“Why? It’s totally fine if you don’t go. Nobody takes library duty seriously.”

“That’s true, but…”

“And it’s supposed to be two people working together, right? That means you’ll be with someone you don’t know, from another class. Or even an upperclassman? And most of the third years aren’t here because of entrance exams, so it would probably be a second year, who we don’t deal well with.”

“Yeah…” he nodded uncertainly.

“Huh. You’re going to play hooky on library duty, Hayama?” A classmate said in an unnecessarily loud voice.

“That’s a problem. There’s supposed to be one person each from two classes, and every class does it the same number of times in the year. It’ll hurt our class’ reputation if only we don’t send someone,” somebody else jumped on the bandwagon.

“What are you talking about?” Toshihisa asked angrily. “I’m sure you guys have slacked off library duty before.”

“Not me, I’ve never slacked off.”

“Liar!”

“Even so, just you being in this class, Hayama, makes class 1-C the center of attention.”

“If it’s such a problem, fuck off!”

“Hey, guys..!”

Toshihisa was indignant at this point.

“Katakura, even if he is your roommate, you spend an awful lot of time with this guy, even though everyone hates him,” a classmate said, moving closer and suddenly grabbing Takumi’s uniform sleeve.

Takumi instinctively shook his hand away.

“Oh!” The classmate who had been brushed off made a big show of losing his balance and stumbling several steps away. “Can you lay off with that kind of overreaction, already? If you’re that bad with people, why did you come to such an isolated boarding school?”

Takumi was frozen, and didn’t reply.

He was pale, even paler than the sick Toshihisa.

“That has nothing to do with you! Takumi can go to whatever school he wants to!” Toshihisa lashed out, angrily.

“Human Contact Phobia, huh? Our class officer came up with a nice name for it.”

“Just like Gii, huh,” They continued harassing him.

“Yeah, Hayama, maybe you should transfer back to your hometown high school next year, huh? It’s already February, so first year is almost over, anyway.”

“Ah, but he’ll just be hated in that school, too, though. You’d just be a problem wherever you go, hey Hayama?”

Whether it was a good thing or not, their teasing didn’t reach Takumi.

He was too busy trying to stop trembling and not throw up.

“Hayama, take this back for me.” A book was set down on Takumi’s desk.

“Take your own book back!”

Ignoring Toshihisa’s opinion, he turned to go. “Bye, counting on you.”

As though that were a sign, everyone left the classroom, laughing.

Toshihisa pursed his lips tightly. “...Takumi, are you okay?” He asked, hiding his chagrin.

Takumi gave a slight nod, taking the book off his desk.

“I’m going to the library.”

He ran out of the classroom.

*****

“Why? Why aren’t you going to participate in the last recreational activity of high school, Aso-senpai?” The clever-looking underclassman asked, confused.

It was the peak of the university entrance examination season at this point in February, and the usual no-talking rule in the library had been lightened.

Third year students could come and go as they pleased in this season, and while they could choose to study at home, some chose to stay at school for the last spurt, putting their heads together with their friends to try to figure out their worst subjects. Thus, the lightened rules.

After school, they mixed in with the first and second years.

“Don’t you think it’s a shame to not have fun with the present Sagara-senpai left for us?”

It was bound to make things more lively.

Aso Kei, small and baby-faced enough to be mistaken for a new student, despite already being a third year, pulled a thick dictionary off the bookshelf. Though Nara didn’t mean anything by it, he received a glare when he reached out to help.

“Sorry.”

He pulled back his hand.

“I mean,” Aso started, sitting down in an empty seat and depositing the heavy dictionary on the big library table. “Sagara always comes up with lame ideas. Not for me,” he said, unforgiving.

“...Lame?” Nara froze as he was about to sit down next to him.

“More importantly, Nara, I was just bored staying at home. I already got into a university because of a recommendation, so I have nothing to do, but my parents won’t let me get a job. I already have my driver’s license, but all my friends are studying for exams, so I can’t visit them, and it isn’t fun doing everything by myself. I was so bored, I came back to school. Is there anything fun to do?” He asked.

“Uh…” Nara Shunsuke smiled wryly. “I take that to mean that Sagara-senpai's plan wouldn’t alleviate your boredom?” He asked, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

The reason that Aso’s insensitive remarks didn’t get a rise out of any of the busily studying students around them might have something to do with the fact that he hadn’t set the bar very high for himself, and they weren’t exactly jealous of him.

Fortunately.

“The idea is to find the shrine that’s hinted at by the first character in Shidou’s name, right? Everybody tries to find the shrine when they first come here. You did, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. The school’s name does make you wonder,” Nara nodded. “The fact that they use the character for ‘shrine’ in Shidou Academy’s name certainly implies that there is a shrine around here somewhere, but there isn’t even a hint of one, no matter how hard you look.”

“Or maybe our sister school was built first, and the shrine is there.”

“No, it’s newer, so that’s unlikely.”

“I know. I’m just going down the path new students take,” Aso pouted.

“Ah. Sorry,” Nara hurriedly apologized.

“Didn’t you mull it over, wondering all sorts of silly things, and spend your free time wandering the woods, looking for it?”

“Everyone does, at least once.”

“But nobody ever finds anything, do they? That means it must not be anywhere, right? The school’s name must have been decided either randomly or based on the founder’s personal interest, not on anything to do with this area.”

“That’s your conclusion, Aso-senpai? That it’s pointless to look?”

“It’s a pain in the ass. And it’s cold.”

“...Ah.”

“Why would he make up an activity that makes us go outside, when it’s solid snow out there? Why do we have to do something so inefficient at this time of year?”

“You do have a good point.”

“Does Sagara want us all to catch colds?”

“I don’t think so.”

“When is Sagara’s test for his number one school?”

“Next week, I think.”

“Do you think he’s planning to come back here afterwards?”

“I would think so.” It wasn’t only that he’d planned this activity. “He still has a lot that he’s attached to here.”

“Ah,” Aso nodded lightly, laughing. “He just can’t give up on wanting something to happen with Gii, can he? It’s like watching a fish try to climb Mt. Fuji.”

“Do you think it’s impossible?”

“Yes. It’s utterly absurd.”

“Absurd?”

“It doesn’t matter how much Sagara likes Gii, it just isn’t like that for Gii, so it’s impossible.”

Nara sort of understood Aso’s explanation, sort of didn’t.

“If it isn’t like that for Gii, how is it, then?”

“Hm?” Aso looked up at Nara where he sat towering over him. “That’s a secret.”

“You knew Gii before coming to this school, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“There aren’t many upperclassmen who call him Gii to his face, even if they do behind his back.”

“Sagara doesn’t even call him Gii,” Aso chuckled.

“But his year mates all call him Gii quite easily.”

“That’s true. There are advantages to being older and an upperclassman, but also disadvantages.”

“You can get away with some high-handedness, but you always feel a distance between you and the underclass men.”

“That thing called ‘propriety’. It’s hard to get past it, isn’t it?” Aso asked, staring hard at Nara.

“...Eh? Was that aimed at me?”

“Not particularly. I’m not asking for anything. You’re fine the way you are. Speaking your mind would suit you as little as becoming super macho would suit Shibata.”

Nara burst out laughing at Aso’s example.

He could tell without looking that his laughter was drawing attention. He bowed a quick apology to those around them and lowered his voice.

“That was straight to the point,” he told Aso.

Shibata Jun was a slim, traditional Japanese beauty. He was a second year student like Nara, and if someone had told you he had noble blood, you wouldn’t doubt it, he was that refined.

“The only people that call Saki ‘Gii’ are you and… Tonami-senpai, I think.”

You’d have to be pretty close to him to call him a nickname, like ‘Gii’, to his face. Whether a classmate or upperclassman.

That, or a lot older than him.

Nara glanced over at the counter, where Ms. Nakayama, the librarian, was staring so intently at her computer that it looked like it would suck her in. She was definitely the most unfettered person at Shidou.

“Ah, Tonami, huh?” Aso frowned. “He’s even more shameless than Sagara. I don’t get along with him in a totally different way than Sagara.”

“But Tonami-senpai is…” Nara started to say, but then shut his mouth.

“He’s just posing,” Aso knitted his eyebrows together. “Tonami and Sagara have one thing in common. They’re so hot and bothered, they don’t need a heater in the winter.”

“They do both have a rather positive attitude.”

“That ‘heat’ is a nuisance. That’s why even Gii hates Sagara.”

“Hates…”

Having said something that would devastate someone if they heard it in person, Aso seemed full of his own power to call Gii by Gii to his face.

“Sagara should add ‘within your means’ to his dictionary,” he said.

Aso may be criticizing him heavily now, but Nara was sure that Sagara Takahiro would survive the storm and be remembered at Shidou. He was already a legend among the current students. He had made history by being the student council president since his second semester first year, until he’d had to retire first semester this year.

That gap in assessment definitely implied they were quite good friends.

“But, Aso-senpai, Sagara-senpai is always high-spirited, so saying Gii hates him because of that is…”

“Anyway, Nara. Don’t invite me to play. Why don’t you gather a bunch of other students to participate? They’ll get excited at the prospect of having a wish granted.”

“I’ll have to decline. I think the fun comes from only a select few secretly participating. What would happen if everyone knew about it?”

“Then don’t gather anyone. But also don’t invite me. Strangely, it seems like Gii is actually participating this time, right? I’m sure Sagara will be plenty satisfied with that.”

“That’s true, I suppose.”

“It’s the first time Gii is participating in one of Sagara’s events, right? First and last.”

“Yeah.”

“Sagara was thrilled, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah… he was.”

“That’s enough, then. I’m glad, Sagara.”

“I’m not Sagara-senpai.”

“But he asked you to talk to me, didn’t he? So pass that on to him, will you? Bye,” he said, then laid his head down on the table.

In front of him was the big dictionary, which he hadn’t even opened. He was really the only one at Shidou with the nerve to use a dictionary as a pillow in the library for a nap.

“If I may be presumptuous, Aso-senpai, but if you’re that tired, shouldn’t you go back to the dorm? You could spread out on your bed and sleep better, I’m sure…”

“I like it here. It’s warm, and relaxing being surrounded by books.”

“But the dictionary is…”

“It’s the perfect pillow. It took me three years to figure it out. It’s the perfect height. Amazing, right? I wonder if they did it on purpose?”

On purpose…

“It seems like you’re praising them, Aso-senpai.” It wasn’t like they had decided on this thickness after research. “I don’t think the authors would be pleased…”

“The cover is nice and cool. It feels good.”

“Are you still praising them?”

“I won’t drool on it.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Okay, I will, then.”

“That’s not what I meant!” As he said it, a first year rushed into the library, with a tense expression.

“Ah…” Aso looked up, happily. “It’s Hayama-kun.”

Hayama Takumi, a first year with a terrible peculiarity.

“He’s your secret favorite, right?”

“Yeah. I’m secretly, silently, cheering him on.”

“Cheering him on? How?”

“I’m yelling ‘you can do it!’ in my heart.”

“But if it’s secretly and silently, it must be hard for him to notice you’re doing it.”

“That’s true.”

“Is it fun? Doing that kind of thing.”

“Yes? Hey, just between us, but…” he suddenly lowered his voice, causing Nara to instinctively move closer. “Hayama doesn’t really react badly to me for some reason,” Aso said, as though he were sharing a great secret.

“Is that so?”

That was pretty impressive, in a way.

Hayama Takumi was a giant ball of ‘reaction’ usually.

“Is this a kind of empathic connection?”

“Probably. Hayama is in the same class as Saki, right?”

“Right, he’s in Gii’s class.”

“Saki seems to have a lot of trouble with him.”

“Seems so.”

He was a repeat offender, with that excessive wariness causing problems, and the slightest thing starting a fight.

“Is there some sort of trick? A way to get Hayama to not react?”

“Who knows?” Aso tilted his head, leisurely. “Anyway, I’m lucky. Hayama-kun is on library duty today. I was right to go out of my way to choose the library for my nap.”

“Out of your way… You always come here for a nap when you have free time, Aso-senpai.”

He was, in a way, part of the scenery.

“Yes, out of my way! I’m glad I came back to Shidou…”

“...Yes, that’s nice.”

“Not in a bad way, but I’d really like to touch him at least once before graduation.”

That seemed really…

“I think that’s… not likely,” Nara laughed.

“Even just a handshake,” Aso easily stated his desire.

“...If your type is Hayama, it’s no wonder you don’t have the same preferences as Sagara-senpai or even Tonami-senpai.”

Nara sighed quietly.

*****

The phone in the dormitory would cut off if the call recipient didn’t answer for five minutes.

“Hello?”

Even knowing that this close to the end of the school day, the person they were calling was likely to be still in the school building, they just couldn’t wait, and ended up calling anyway.

However, this time it was answered just a few minutes after the announcement.

“Y...you surprised me,” Tonami Masanori startled. “What’s up, Gii?” He asked.

“That’s my line, Tonami-senpai,” Gii huffed. “You’re the one who called me.”

“Ah… you’re right.”

That’s right.

On the first floor of the dorm, there was an evenly spaced row of telephones.

Having heard the announcement, he had gone straight to the assigned phone and picked up the receiver that had been left off the hook.

“I had a feeling you were going to call today, Tonami-senpai, so I came back right after class. I have good intuition, huh?” Gii said.

“...Are you teasing me?” Tonami sounded ashamed.

“Of course, I’m teasing you.” The upperclassman laughed with grace. “Aso-senpai came back this morning.”

He got straight to the point. But because of that…

“How is Aso?”

The subject was changed with no embarrassment.

“Supposedly, at this time, he should be taking a nap in the library.”

“Wow. He’s got to be rubbing all the test-takers the wrong way.”

“It’s fine. Aso-senpai’s presence is relaxing somehow, or maybe peaceful. Anyway, he’s like Shidou’s mascot.”

“Like a moving stuffed animal?”

Somebody had said as much before.

“Right, a stuffed animal. Not a costume.”

“Hey, Gii. What’s the difference between a moving stuffed animal and a person in a costume?”

“Squishiness?”

“Squishiness? I don’t really understand, but I think more than a moving stuffed animal, Aso is just a natural, spontaneous kid.”

“Understood. To you, Aso-senpai isn’t relaxing, he’s liberal,” Gii answered. “But I don’t think he’s as unreliable as you think.”

“I don’t think he’s unreliable.”

“In any case, I don’t think you should be worrying about him when your own test is coming up soon.”

“...Yeah.”

“At this rate, Aso-senpai would just yell at you, ‘how old do you think I am, treating me like a baby!’, I think.”

“...Yeah.”

“But you’re worried?” 

Gii laughed, and Tonami mirrored the sound a bit bitterly. It was like a conditioned response at this point.

“It’s not that Aso is insensitive, he just goes where the wind takes him, so…” Whether he could see him in person or not, he just couldn’t help being concerned. “I wonder if he isn’t rolling off the desk and falling to the floor the moment he falls asleep in the library, or accidentally wearing his roommate’s blazer and causing him trouble, or any number of other things.”

“Hmm… like ‘Aso-senpai’s blazer did seem a bit big on him today. Whatever’, right?”

“Yeah, just like that.”

He was careless, and didn’t mean anything badly, but would just carelessly apologize when called out on something.

“I think the fault for me being so concerned about Aso lies with Aso, himself. But then he calls me annoying.”

“Good job keeping up with him for three years.”

“It seems to have been inconvenient for him, though.”

“Seems so, but Tonami-senpai, have you heard about Sagara-senpai’s planned activity?”

“Eh? Oh, the game of finding the shrine?”

“They say that the shrine will grant any wish.”

“There’s no way. That it’ll grant wishes, not that it exists. That kind of magical talk.”

“Well, whether it’s true or not, as the last recreational activity of the year, it should be fun, right?”

“Surely people aren’t taking it seriously?” Tonami asked, incredulously.

“Not because they’re looking for a miracle, but they seem to be having fun with it.”

“What about Aso?”

“No idea.”

“I don’t think he’d be interested in wishes or shrines.”

“He’s already gotten into a university, and doesn’t seem to want a romantic partner or anything.”

“....Ah,” Tonami sighed, deeply.

“Anyway, are you thinking of joining the search for the shrine?” Gii teased.

“If it’s wishes, I have a ton. I would be grateful if the shrine granted even one or two of them,” Tonami replied, honestly. “How about you, Gii?”

“Yes?”

“Are you having fun with it? Oh, but you don’t have any, do you?”

“Have what?”

“Any wishes. You already have everything.”

“That’s not true.”

“You’re from a good family, yeah? And attractive. You’re also smart, have great future prospects, popular with girls…. It's Valentine’s Day soon. You’re going to get a ton of chocolate from girls, Gii. I’m jealous.”

“Senpai, you’ve gotten a bit off track.”

“Ah, I’m just saying there must not be anything you want, right?”

“I guess…”

“Anyway, my first wish is that Aso gets through today with no problems,” Tonami said straightforwardly.

“Yeah.” As long as he gets through today. “If he’s good tomorrow, too, that’s even better.”

“You get it, Gii? That’s right! That’s what I mean!”

He didn’t have any big wishes.

If he could just live a carefree life, that was enough.

*****

“This story is astonishingly full of holes.”

Room 444. Misu and his roommate, Kodama Rikiya’s, room.

Misu was mumbling at his desk.

“Eh? What?” Kodama looked up from where he was lounging on his bed, reading a magazine.

“Hm? Oh, nothing,” Misu answered softly, and turned back to his desk.

He had reread ‘The Fox’s Hot Spring’ over and over.

It was pretty impressive that this short a story covered an entire lifetime, but it was full of holes.

Were all folk tales like this? In the first place, if the hot spring could heal the heart, it could heal Kon’s, right? She didn’t have to turn into a flower. Why didn’t she use the hot spring?

However, a story with as many problems as this one, they had to be on purpose, for a reason.

What should he take from this?

“...I wonder how Saki read this.”

“The Fox’s Hot Spring? Huh? Was it assigned for Japanese class?” Kodama had gotten off his bed, and was peering over Misu’s shoulder at the photocopy.

“No, that’s not what this is for.”

“So, it’s just your hobby? You like fairy tales?”

“No, that’s not why, either,” Misu said, smiling softly, making Kodama blush.

“By ‘Saki’, do you mean Gii? Ah, are you maybe making a new club or something with Gii?” Kodama asked.

“No, I’m not.”

“Hmm. I was just thinking a club formed by two such gorgeous guys together would be super popular.”

“Saki and I aren’t gorgeous.”

It was hard to tell if Misu meant it, or was just being humble.

“No, you guys are plenty gorgeous.” He wasn’t sure, so he decided to just be honest.

“Well, thank you.”

He smiled softly again, and Kodama had to let the topic drop. It was a diplomatic response, but it didn’t really feel cold or distant, but left a soft feeling of the conversation being over. 

Though he wanted to talk with Misu more, Kodama couldn’t think of another topic, so he headed back to his bed.

Since they had first greeted each other at the entrance ceremony, they had shared a room together for nearly a year, but they hadn’t really gotten any friendlier, for some reason.

He had always been amiable and friendly, and on the surface that was a happy thing, but Kodama didn’t feel like they had gotten any closer over the last year.

Misu’s well-featured profile as he gazed down at the copy drew his attention, but without a reason to talk to him, Kodama behaved himself and went back to reading the magazine on his bed.

*****

“Hayama-kun is on library duty today, huh…” Aso said, gazing up from his short stature at Takumi with puppy-dog eyes.

“...Yes.”

He wasn’t feeling defensive, just bewilderment and wariness at the innocent way he had been approached, and a little taken aback.

He was on guard, but didn’t feel unpleasant.

This upperclassman was always smiling as he approached him. Maybe he understood how bad Takumi was with people, because he would approach him in relatively deserted places, like the library, rather than around a lot of people, where Takumi would tend to get defensive and mulish.

The library was bustling today, but there wasn’t anyone around where Takumi was busily returning books to the shelves.

“People usually play hooky and skip their library duty, but you haven’t ever skipped, have you, Hayama-kun?”

“...Probably.”

Takumi didn’t have any sports clubs after school, and there weren’t any other committees he was on, and he didn't hate books, so he didn’t have a reason to, and therefore didn’t, skip. Unless he somehow missed that he was supposed to be on duty that day.

“Shall I help you?”

“Um…”

“Put the books back.”

“No,” Takumi answered shortly.

“The other person on duty is skipping, right? And on a day that happens to have a lot of books to return.”

“No, I’m fine by myself,” Takumi declined, looking around at the third year students studying hard around them.

“Ah, I’m different,” Aso laughed. “I’ve already finished my test. I was just bored at home, so I came back to school, but I’m bored here, too. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Ah… is that so?”

Takumi didn’t seem to know what kind of expression he should be showing, as he looked around at the third years again.

Hayama-kun was a nice guy.

“Say ‘congratulations on getting in’?”

“...Ah. C...congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Aso smiled again. “Here.”

He held out his hand.

“Umm…”

“I’ll help you with the books.”

“No, but…”

“Put a book on my hand.”

He just stood there, smiling, with his hand held out, and Takumi finally put a book on his hand, with an unhappy expression. Of course, making sure their hands didn’t touch.

There wasn’t anybody at Shidou at this point that didn’t know about Hayama Takumi’s human contact phobia. Some people did tease him about it, but this particular upperclassman seemed to be leaving a distance between them out of consideration.

Takumi was relieved that Aso hadn’t just grabbed a book out of his hands when he said he’d help.

“Hayama-kun, are you the type that feels relaxed surrounded by books?” Aso asked, walking down the aisle towards the section that book belonged in.

“Not especially.”

“I am. But not because I like reading them,” Aso laughed. “How about you? Do you like reading?”

“Just a normal amount, I guess.”

“What kinds of books do you usually read?”

“Mysteries, usually.”

“Japanese ones? Western ones?”

“Either.”

“Hmm.” Aso found where the book belonged, and returned it to the shelf. “Okay, next.”

He held out his hand again, and Takumi made himself smile as he handed one over.

“Huh? What’s this?”

The red ‘for reference only’ stamp shone (?) brightly from the cover of the book. ‘The Fox’s Hot Spring’.

“It’s the rumored book that Gii and Misu both photocopied.”

“...huh.”

Gii… the name made Takumi stop in his tracks.

Aso had no idea why Takumi had stopped walking, and continued, “Yeah, where did the rumor come from? From me.” He seemed to think that Takumi was invested in his story now. “Hmm… let’s see. What kind of book had not just Gii, but Misu also take an interest in it?”

Once upon a time, in the remote mountains…

“Hahaha, this sounds like Shidou,” Aso laughed. “It’s just a simple folk tale,” he said, after standing and reading for a few minutes.

He closed the cover. “A hot spring that can heal any ailment. That would be amazing if it were real,” Aso said nonchalantly. “Then we could cure your Human Contact Phobia.”

Takumi stood silent.

Cure? This?

“Oh, this is for Sagara’s activity,” Aso continued. “Do you know about it, Hayama-kun? Some of the students are taking part in a bit of recreation now. The leader is the third year, Sagara, and the goal is to find the shrine hidden at Shidou. They say it’s a powerful shrine that can grant any wish. I think it sounds fake, so I wasn’t going to participate, but do you want to?”

“...Eh?”

“Search for the shrine with me. I’d be okay doing it if it was with you. And if we find it, let’s make a wish. Let’s ask it to cure your phobia.”

“No, I…”

“Let’s get it to cure you, since we have a chance now.”

“But, that’s not what I…”

“I got it. The hot spring in this story must be paired up with the shrine. That’s the reason there’s a ‘shrine’ in Shidou’s name.”

“...Thanks, but no thank you.”

Takumi nodded shortly and turned to walk away, hugging his stack of books.

He headed to the counter and said something to the librarian.

Ms. Nakayama nodded, and he picked up his belongings and left the library.

“Ah…” Aso’s shoulders slumped. “I thought it was a good idea, despite just coming up with it…”

They could cure Hayama Takumi’s phobia, and get closer at the same time.

Kill two birds with one stone!

But rather than getting closer, he just ran away.

He had probably gotten too excited and pushed too hard.

“There’s less than a month till graduation.”

After graduation, he would most likely not have any contact with Hayama Takumi anymore.

It was too sad that he didn’t have a single good memory with Takumi, despite liking him so much.

“I guess I’ll just have to try harder. It’ll be fun,” Aso smiled brightly, walking to the counter. “Ms. Nakayama, please copy this for me, too!”

*****

“Gii, I found you!”

The voice jumped out at him as he exited the phone booth, coming from a sweet-as-candy, small-statured student.

It was Takabayashi Izumi, who had gathered a lot of attention since coming to the school, though in a different way that Gii had.

He was dainty and elegant, almost like a girl, but that was only on the surface. Inside, he was straightforward and blunt.

“I heard the announcement that you had a phone call, so I thought I could run into you if I came down here. I’m glad I did!”

As though in direct opposition to Takabayashi’s bright voice, Gii didn’t seem pleased at all. “What is it, Takabayashi? Do you need something?”

“How mean.”

Takabayashi could usually beat anyone with just one smile.

He knew it, and freely used it as a weapon to catch his prey.

“If you don’t need anything, I’m in a hurry.”

This beautiful classmate had never fallen for his charms, though.

Takabayashi grabbed Gii’s arm as he turned to walk away.

“Shall we eat dinner together?” He used the next weapon in his arsenal, gazing up at Gii from below.

“Sorry, I have plans.”

Gii slipped his arm free and walked away up the stairs, not even looking back at Takabayashi. 

Takabayashi chased after him.

“Wait, Gii!”

Takabayashi had heard that a number of other students thought that he and Gii suited each other. Of course they did! He couldn’t imagine Saki Giichi being with anyone else at Shidou, even outside of Shidou!

“You don’t have to be so shy, Gii.”

Gii stopped in the middle of the stairs at these words.

“I’m not in the mood for your goofing around,” he said, without turning around, though he kept his voice low, as though to protect Takabayashi from the prying ears of the surrounding students, before continuing up to the fourth floor.

“You’re mean, Gii.”

Even though Gii had been considerate, and no one had heard, he was still hurt.

He liked Gii.

He really, really liked Gii.

“...You’re mean, Gii.”

*****

There was a knock on the door.

“It’s open,” Misu answered.

“Oh, you’re here.” The floor head for the fourth floor, Ishikawa Tadaaki, peeked in.

In the Shidou dorms, there was one student for each of the four floors that acted as the ‘floor head’, or resident advisor, who accepted some responsibility for the daily life on their floor, in exchange for the perk of having a private room. 

They were easier to go to for advice than a teacher, but were more reliable than simply talking with your friends, and provided a very important service to their dormmates, so only the most suitable third year students were chosen by election. Of course, the floor heads were generally very popular.

“We’re both here. Who do you need? Kodama, or me?” Misu asked.

“Oh, you, Misu,” Ishikawa answered.

“Boo,” Kodama replied, flopping back down on the bed he had gone to the trouble of getting up from.

“Sorry, Kodama,” Ishikawa apologized.

“I’ll forgive you.” Kodama lifted his face from the covers.

Ishikawa Tadaaki was very kind-hearted. He wasn’t only nice. He was also very dependable and a great help and comfort to the new first years, as floor head.

He was also, unfortunately, a third year that would graduate in less than a month.

“Misu, this came by mail for you just now,” Ishikawa held out a brown paper package about three centimeters thick to Misu. “It just says it’s to ‘Misu, Student Dorm’.”

The handwriting wasn’t particularly good or bad, but it looked as though it had been written very carefully.

“The only Misu at Shidou is you, Misu, so I don’t think it could be for another Misu, but the dorm advisor said I should check with you, just in case.”

“Thanks for going out of your way,” Misu said, taking the package in his hands carefully.

Misu was the only Misu, so it must be for Misu.

“That sounds like a tongue twister,” Kodama had jumped off his bed and came over to peer happily over his shoulder. “Wow, it does really just say ‘To Misu’.”

“The Chinese characters for ‘Misu’ are right, but it's a bit suspicious that that’s all it says, right?” Ishikawa asked, cautiously. “Misu, if you don’t know who it could be from, we can send it back, or throw it away.”

“I understand.”

“Who is it from? Who? Your friend?”

Laughing at Kodama’s childish enthusiasm, Misu responded, “Maybe, maybe not?”

He turned over the package.

Shingyouji Kanemitsu. 

“Shingyouji Kanemitsu?” Kodama sounded it out. “That’s a really old-fashioned name. Is it someone old? Like a friend of your grandpa or something?”

“Misu, do you know who that is?” Ishikawa asked.

“No,” Misu replied. “I don’t know this name.”

Normally, Misu would have been more polite about it, but this time he said it bluntly.

He felt a little uneasy.

“I see, it’s someone you don’t know,” Ishikawa nodded. “I wonder what’s inside. This time of year, usually a package this size would be chocolate.”

He held the package up to his nose.

There was a slight, sweet smell.

“Ah, Valentine’s Day chocolate?” Kodama’s eyes were twinkling. “That’s right, it’s next week! Being here in the middle of the mountains, I’d given up on getting any chocolate from girls this year, but they could send it like this!”

He peered at the name on the box again.

“You read it Shingyouji Kanemi, maybe?” He said, and Ishikawa burst out laughing.

Kodama turned red from embarrassment. 

“You don’t have to laugh so hard, Ishikawa-senpai!”

“Sorry, sorry. I do think you’re reaching, though.”

“Shingyouji Kanemi. I suppose it is possible it’s read that way,” Misu also laughed lightly.

“But, if it’s chocolate inside, it must be from a girl, right? So that means that even though it looks like a boy’s name, it must be from a girl, right?”

“I wonder,” Ishikawa was smiling even wider than Misu was. “Sometimes friends give each other chocolate here, even between guys. Of course, some guys have their girlfriends send chocolate by mail, too. Some of them probably get chocolate and letters from female friends with a message to ‘please give it to Gii’ in them, too.”

“But whoever this is isn’t a friend, right?” Kodama asked, confused. “Why would a guy send chocolate to a guy who isn’t his friend?”

“Who knows,” Misu tilted his head. “Anyway, Ishikawa-senpai, either send this back or toss it, please,” he said, indifferently.

Normally, that wouldn’t have sounded strange, but the blunt words bewildered both Ishikawa and Kodama.

They had never seen Misu so cold.

He always met any situation, even ridiculous ones, with warmth, gentleness and kindness.

In other words…

“...Is it really okay?” Ishikawa asked, just in case.

“I don’t mind.”

“Maybe you should open it at least? Maybe there’s a letter inside, and you’ll remember who it is if you read it?”

“I don’t want to. It would be quite annoying if it exploded or something.”

Exploding would be more than just annoying.

“Huh? Is the chocolate that dangerous?!” Kodama exclaimed.

“Of course not, Kodama,” Ishikawa tapped him on the head to calm him down. “Alright, I’ll take this back with me, then.”

“Thanks. Sorry for the trouble,” Misu apologized, politely.

Ishikawa’s voice softened, “It’ll take a few days to arrange the return, so it’ll be in my room. If you remember something, you can come get it, no problem.”

“Understood. If I remember, I’ll come.”

Ishikawa’s expression remained strained as he left room 444. He didn’t think that Misu would get the package, even if he remembered something.

Poor Shingyouji Kanemitsu.

“Did he get a crush on Misu somewhere?”

Misu Arata had a very good memory. He definitely knew who it was. Judging from Misu’s reaction, that had to be the explanation, didn’t it?

So it was a one-sided love.

“To send chocolate, though, means that he has guts.”

Even though he didn’t know Misu’s first name.

Additionally…

“He has good taste.”

He picked well, getting a crush on Misu.

Though he didn’t have the same heart-grabbing impact that his fellow first years Saki Giichi and Takabayashi Izumi had, Misu Arata had a presence that stayed with you.

He gradually worked his way into your heart.

Maybe not this year, but by next year’s Valentine Day, Ishikawa thought Misu would probably be drowning in chocolate, from girls and guys alike.

He was so well thought of that even Sagara Takahiro had pulled him into activities, despite not being on the student council because he was still a first year.

Ishikawa opened the door to room 400.

“Crap,” he muttered. “I can’t send the chocolate back, or throw it away, I think.”

Shingyouji Kanemitsu’s anticipation.

Writing the address so carefully.

So lovingly.

“What should I do?”

Ishikawa gazed up at the ceiling in defeat.

*****

Gii knocked on the door as he walked into room 409.

“Ah, welcome back. Was the call from Tonami-senpai like you thought?” Shouzou asked brightly from where he was reading a book at his desk.

“Yeah,” Gii answered shortly, sitting down on his own desk chair with a disgruntled sigh.

“...What’s wrong?” Shouzou closed his book and turned his chair to face Gii, concerned.

“No, nothing really…”

“That’s good.”

Shouzou had a policy to never be nosy merely from curiosity.

It was one of the things that Gii really valued in him as a friend.

“Thank you,” Gii smiled a little.

“For what?” Shouzou asked, confused.

“No, nothing.” His mood had improved a bit. “I was just thinking that the best thing to happen because of coming to Shidou was becoming friends with you.”

“What is this,” Shouzou’s eyes were wide. “A new kind of joke? It’s kinda gross.”

Shouzou made a show of cringing away.

“No, really. I’m thankful right now.”

“Right now? You mean right this moment?”

“Yes, right this moment.”

“I don’t understand you. That history book you borrowed from the library looks like it’ll be pretty useful, though.”

“Hmm.” Gii stood up and walked over by Shouzou.

“Not Shidou directly, but this area seems to have been involved in a lot of wars, since it was on the border between provinces.”

Shouzou opened the book again.

Gii spoke as he looked down at the page, “Now that you mention it, there are ruins of a castle near here, aren’t there. Just the foundation at this point.” Gii folded his arms.

“Yeah. There’s also a proper castle tower in the ruins, so it wasn’t just an outpost, either,” Shouzou said.

“But the reason that nobody knows about it is that it must be a small enough castle to not make it into the history textbooks, you think?” Gii asked.

“Either that or it just ended up not being important, or didn’t belong to anyone very important.”

“Hmm.” Gii reached out and noisily pulled his chair over beside Shouzou and sat down. “So, what’s good about this?” 

Gii pointed a finger at the book.

“It says that the family line was severed in the early Edo period. The heir was assassinated by someone in the family, and once the higher-ups found out, the family was dissolved as punishment. Their territory was seized,” Shouzou explained.

“If the assassination had been by an enemy, the family probably wouldn’t have been dissolved, right?” Gii asked.

“I’m sure it was case by case, but probably not. Trouble within families was looked on quite harshly at the time, it seems.”

“I think they probably used that as an excuse to crush the plans of any other families who were having similar problems.”

“That is what it feels like,” Shouzou nodded.

“It was also one way to reduce the number of families around the country without drawing resentment. The world of the samurai was fierce,” Gii said with interest. “But does this have something to do with ‘The Fox’s Hot Spring’?”

Back on topic.

“I don’t know whether it’s related or not, but according to the local history books, during the warring states period, the ownership of the castle changed hands many times, until it settled down in the Edo period. After that, the family was dissolved, the land was seized and ultimately was abandoned because it lost its usefulness in the war, so now it’s the ruins we see. That’s what I find interesting.”

“I see…”

“What, Gii?”

“Hm?”

“Your response is lacking.”

“Oh, no. I just got hung up on the idea of the baby that was abandoned. They’ve turned them into foxes, but maybe it was actually a baby abandoned by a human couple’s house in the mountains.”

“Like in the fairy tale Snow White, in order to avoid assassination, the baby was left in the woods in the hope that someone would rescue it?” Shouzou laughed. “But if that were true, wouldn’t the baby normally be a boy? And the heir to a big manor would also be a boy. In that case, it wouldn’t turn into a love story, right?”

“True,” Gii nodded vaguely. “But ignoring the gender issue, I think it’s kind of romantic.”

“Romantic, huh…”

“Don’t get hung up on that bit, Shouzou,” Gii laughed.

“Understood,” Shouzou also laughed.

Regardless of the main character’s gender, it was more mysterious why there was a couple living out in the mountains by themselves. People generally lived around other people. People aren’t designed to live completely alone, but to interact with other people. Humans are very social and fragile creatures. Isolated from other people, living in such a lonely environment, what was the real story behind the couple that the story made into foxes? Why did they have to live like that?

“If that ‘The Fox’s Hot Spring” is in fact a local story that was turned into a fairy tale, there are a few points that interest me,” Gii stated.

Why was the baby abandoned? Why was it abandoned in the middle of nowhere, instead of where there were a lot of people? Was it left near the couple on purpose, or by design? Was the ‘boy from the manor over the mountain’ really the heir to that manor?

“Well, Gii, we have plenty of time till dinner, so why don’t we go back to the library to look for more information?” His partner in crime stood up.

*****

“What do you think, Nara?” 

Nara Shunsuke was in the science club.

Ishikawa had come all the way from the dorm, manila envelope in hand, to call Nara out into the hallway outside the largest of the science labs where he was in the middle of his club activities.

“What do I think…?” Nara crossed his thin arms, fingers digging into the sleeves of his white lab coat. “You came all the way here to ask about that?” He asked.

His question managed to sound both astonished and concerned.

“Well… yeah.”

“I think you’re worrying about it too much, Ishikawa-senpai.”

“You might be right.”

“I am. No matter how close to graduation you are, you don’t need to channel so much effort into being the most helpful dorm floor head ever.”

“I wasn’t trying to do anything special. But I guess that’s it. It’s almost graduation, so I don’t want to feel like I’ve left anything unfinished.”

“I like that you feel such a strong sense of responsibility, but this is…” Nara laughed a little as he looked down at the envelope in Ishikawa’s hands.

“But if there’s anything I can do, I want to try.”

“There isn’t, though,” Nara stared at Ishikawa coolly. “It’s up to the recipient to decide what to do with it. There’s a chance that a strange package could cause trouble somehow, and often packages that are returned to sender need to have a list of what’s in them on it, so if Misu wants to return it, I think it’s for the best. This isn’t the time to try to be a people-pleaser.”

“But…”

“No buts. If Misu rejected it, even knowing who it was from, I’d say that’s even more a reason.”

“But……..”

“And if you read it right, Misu really did totally reject the package, right? Maybe Misu is causing some sort of problem for them because of it.”

“Problems, huh…”

That was true.

“Even you can’t figure out why he doesn’t want it, right?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking you, it would be a problem to have someone you don’t like approach you like this, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Did you forget what it’s like?”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“You have. Danger past and forgotten, huh?”

“No, and that wasn’t that big of a deal…”

“You really do turn wishy-washy when you talk about matters of love. You’re so straightforward and precise when it comes to other things.”

“Nara…”

“You’ll end up graduating without getting to confess your feelings.”

“Sssssss...stop it, I’m not going to confess to anything!”

“But what if they like you, too?”

“They definitely don’t.”

“Really?”

“You’ve changed the subject too much, Nara. We weren’t talking about me, we were talking about this Shingyouji Kanemitsu.”

“You’re trying to escape, Ishikawa-senpai,” Nara grinned.

“Give me a break, I’m not escaping anything, am I?” Ishikawa was timid about love talk after all. “I just think that even if he doesn’t want the chocolate, there might be a letter or card inside, and he should at least read that.”

“I think you have it backwards. If there was no card or letter, and it was just some store-bought chocolate, it would be easier to accept it.”

“I guess it’s no good.”

“Right? He seems gentle, but Misu is actually a pretty severe guy. If he says no, he means it. I doubt he’ll change his mind.” If you push, he’ll push back, but that was about it.

“You think so?”

“He seems calm on the outside, but Misu is actually pretty stubborn.”

“Well, he’s not a reckless and noisy kid, at least.”

“He’s very adult,” Nara stated. “Anyway, I think you should just arrange for that package to be returned, to avoid any more trouble. It’ll just end as a one-sided love. And if he doesn’t give up after one rejection, he’ll just try again, right?”

“You think?”

“People are always thinking of how to escape before they get in the ring to compete, right?”

“That’s rather cynical.”

“Of course,” Nara nodded. “Make sure you haven’t left anything unfinished before graduation, Ishikawa-senpai. Take care of yourself, too, huh? Though it's a difficult job…” he laughed.

*****

The slow-laden path between the dorm and main school building they were walking down was not popular.

“Hey, I just thought of it while we were in the library, but is it really okay suddenly giving Hayama library duty like that?” Shouzou asked suddenly, seeming worried.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Even someone as serious as Hayama might have issues being thrust into it so suddenly. Maybe he couldn’t actually go. Did you have an important reason for doing it?”

“I wouldn’t call it an important reason,” Gii shrugged. “Takeshi was supposed to be the next one on duty.”

“Suzuki Takeshi? It’s not like he would have skipped or anything. You didn’t have to give it to Hayama.”

“He wasn’t looking well after lunch, so I told him to go straight to the nurse’s office after class.”

“Really? Is he okay?”

“He claims he’s not pushing himself. I believe his ability to judge himself, but it’s so cold lately, he can’t help feeling tired.”

“Well, if he’s okay…” Shuozou looked unconvinced. “But sending Hayama to cover for him? Why?”

Gii looked back at him.

He’d just passed on the request, without knowing why.

“So now Hayama is caught up in other people's problems again.” Hayama had been surrounded by several classmates at the time. “I thought, surely you were going to rescue him or something.”

Gii laughed evasively as Shouzou stared at him.

“I can’t butt into every little problem that comes up in our class, can I? And Katakura was there with him.”

“That’s true, but…”

Even being paired up as roommates for a little under a year now with the troublesome Hayama, Katakura Toshihisa didn’t seem dissatisfied or anything, and seemed in fact to be having no trouble getting along with him.

“Katakura was standing up for him, and it wasn't necessary for me to join in, right?”

“Yeah, but…”

“It might just be the benefit of hindsight, but I think Katakura was the right choice as a roommate for Hayama. I’ve heard it said that the room assignments at Shidou are miraculous.”

“What the hell.”

“They very often come up with perfect room assignments, it seems.”

“The teachers just decide on room assignments randomly, right? The only rule, I think, is that people who have roomed together once can’t again.”

“It seems.”

“...So that means that next year, Hayama can’t room with Katakura again,” Shouzou said, suddenly uneasy. “Wow. That’s a problem. Who else could do as well with Hayama as Katakura?”

“Well, it’s not like you have to choose. The teachers make the room assignments.”

“Saying that, the effects are on us, right? I couldn’t live with him. Impossible.”

“Really? I think you might do unexpectedly well together, actually.”

“Stop joking. He freaks out if you even bump him with your elbow. I’m exhausted just thinking about being exposed to his anxiety from morning till night.”

“You seem so bold, Shouzou, but you’re actually quite delicate,” Goo laughed.

“Speaking of total exhaustion, he’s really out-doing himself by living here, if he hates people so much,” Shouzou said, curiously. “If I were Hayama, I don’t think I would have lasted three days. I would have run away home.”

“Hayama doesn’t hate people, though. It’s more of a ‘human contact phobia’.”

“Yeah. You called it that right after we started here. Human contact phobia. It’s really spot on,” Shouzou laughed.

He hadn’t named it that in order for it to be used teasingly, though. He just came up with it as a clear, concise way to explain it to others.

He wanted to protect him.

“But, any way you look at it, he hates people, right?”

“No, I don’t think that’s true. Hayama is extremely uncomfortable having people get close to him, or touch him, but I don’t think he hates people.”

“I see… Gii? Are you sure that’s not just wishful thinking?”

“If it wasn’t true, why would he come to a boarding school, of all places?”

“That’s exactly it! It could be counted as one of the seven wonders of Shidou!” Shouzou announced, as though he had been waiting for the chance.

“...I’m glad you’re having fun,” Gii muttered under his breath.

He just didn’t want him to always look like a wild animal that had been cornered. He didn’t want to see him hiding his wounds and attacking, miserable.

If he was wishing, he wanted to see his relieved smile. How happy would he be if that smile was directed at him?

“How about you, Gii? You could room with Hayama easily, yeah?”

“I’m not sure.”

Even if he was fine with it, Hayama probably wouldn’t be.

He couldn’t say that out loud, though.

If he said it, he had an ominous feeling the reality would be ten times worse somehow.

“Enough about room assignments. Back to the topic of library duty, Aso-senpai came back this morning.”

“Aso-senpai? What does he have to do with it?”

“I thought he’d be happy if he could see Hayama.”

“Eh? Does Aso-senpai have a thing for Hayama?”

“Seems so.”

“Well, to each his own. But even so…”

“Hayama seems to not really react badly around Aso-senpai.”

“Eh!? Hayama likes Aso-senpai, too?”

“I don’t know how far you could say he likes him, but at the very least, he seems to be more comfortable around him than anyone else but Katakura.”

“Huh…” Shouzou looked at Gii with admiration. “You really are the perfect class leader. You understand Hayama so well.”

“...I guess.” Gii responded automatically, eyes downcast.

“Now that I think of it, in their own ways, both Hayama and Aso-senpai are quite suited to the library. They might be more similar than you’d think.”

“Who knows. I hadn’t thought that far. I just thought that since this was the last time this year that our class had library duty…”

“So you thought you’d send Hayama to Aso-senpai’s home base, the library. As usual, you put a lot of care in.”

Not only out of consideration for Hayama Takumi, but also for Aso-senpai.

“It’s my job. I can’t tell you if Hayama was actually happy about it, though.”

“Knowing Hayama, it probably backfired!” Shouzou laughed.

“Don’t laugh.”

“Sorry, sorry. But like I said before, nobody can deal with Hayama. He’s not willing to catch any balls thrown at him.”

“...”

“And because he doesn’t plan to catch them, he doesn’t even know what kind of balls are being thrown at him. Not all of the balls being thrown are meant to hit and hurt him, but he doesn’t understand that.”

“...I don’t think he necessarily doesn’t understand.”

“You think?”

“Aso-senpai has actually managed to have conversations with him,” he said, suddenly miserable.

Though he knew that the chance of the two of them getting together because of this were slim to none, he still felt like he was helping his enemy.

That guy doesn’t see Gii.

No matter how often he helped him, he got nothing in return. Even though he’d do anything for him.

“I’m no good.”

“Gii, you don’t have to go so far in the name of being class president. There’s no helping Hayama. It’s best to just give up.”

“I’m not doing anything because I’m class president, really.”

“So, stop thinking about it so much. You do too much already, both for Hayama and for everybody else. Stop putting yourself down.”

“Shouzou…”

“It’s not like you. Don’t say things like you’re no good and such.”

“...Shouzou.” Even if he really did feel that way, “I got it. I’ll stop being mean to myself.”

“Please do,” Shouzou nodded. “Gii and self-deprecation. Those two don’t go together at all. Impossible. I can’t even imagine anything in your life that you could think badly about.”

That’s not true. If he could manage it without Hayama hating him for it, he wanted to build a bridge between Hayama and the people around him.

He wanted to watch out for him, and help him, but Hayama wouldn’t let him. He felt like he was being shunned with an even firmer resolution than Aso did Tonami. There was a cold, frozen place in the back of his heart that was made of the thought that he may never get close to Hayama.

If only he would look at him.

Even for a moment.

“Huh?”

He recognized that voice.

The familiar face was looking at them happily.

Gii also smiled.

“What are you doing here, Shimaoka?”

Shimaoka Ryuji was his father’s secretary.

“I’m not here to meet with you, Giichi-san. I had some business with the school, so I dropped by.”

“Gii, I’m going ahead.” Shouzou pointed at the school building, prepared to leave them alone, since he knew their relationship already.

“Okay, see you later,” Gii nodded, and Shouzou passed by Shimaoka and continued on the snowy path to the library.

Shimaoka gazed after Shouzou.

“Is it alright?” He asked.

“What?”

“Didn’t you have plans with Akaike-san?”

“Nothing that won’t wait.”

“I don’t have anything, either.”

“Yeah. It’s been a while, though.”

“Yes, since winter vacation, so a little over a month.”

“Did my father ask you to do something again?”

“It’s our duty to make sure your school life is going smoothly.”

“But you’re going a bit too far. I don’t have any problems, so you don’t need to come here so often.”

“I’m sure next year will be less often, but in the beginning, it’s good to be diligent.”

“In the beginning… it’s been almost a year since I started coming here.”

“And now I’ve confirmed how the school is, year-round.”

“Okay, okay. I get it. And now? You’re leaving?”

“Yes, I’m going back. I’ve finished what I came for.”

“I’d like to treat you to some tea or something, though.”

“There’s no need. You have plans with Akaike-san.”

“I do. We’re participating in a hunt for a shrine at Shidou,” Gii grinned.

“Do you mean the shrine at the back of the utility building housing the pipes for Shidou’s hot spring steam powered heating system?” Shimaoka asked smoothly.

“...What?”

“I’m sure there was a small shrine behind there.”

“What the hell. Why do you know that?”

“Of course, before you enrolled here, I researched the whole area quite thoroughly. I had to make sure it was safe for you to come here, and it was the duty of the school to prove it. I didn’t find any problems. You knew that I looked into the school, didn’t you?”

“I did…”

Even so, did this kind of thing really happen?

“The shrine was put in place to show gratitude for the hot spring long before the school was built here. It’s wonderful that they’ve incorporated the spring into the school grounds. It seems like there are a number of local legends that surround the hot spring as well, and it’s nice to think that the school has more behind it than just its own long history, don’t you think?”

Ah… The fox’s hot spring…

“I feel weak all of a sudden…” Shimaoka’s praise of the school was going in one ear and out the other. “I’ve lost all interest in it.”

“In what?” Shimaoka asked.

“You just spoiled who the bad guy was in the mystery novel.”

“Did I?”

“Yes, you did.”

Just when he was finally going to go along with one of Sagara’s schemes, this happens.

He just wasn’t meant to get along with that guy.

“So? Did you make a wish, Shimaoka?”

“What do you mean?”

“According to the legend, that shrine really grants your wishes.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

“I don’t make wishes. I do make a habit of visiting shrines and temples, so I did pray while I was there, but I didn’t make a wish, and I won’t.”

“Huh. You don’t want anything?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean?”

That I’m happy enough in my day to day life that I don’t need to wish for anything special.”

“Hmmm.”

“For example, today, I ran into you like this.”

“That’s right. You hadn’t planned on meeting with me. You were just going to go back to New York once our business with the school was finished. Seems kinda uncaring.”

“I heard from your teachers that you were healthy and doing well, so I didn’t think there was anything to worry about.”

“So it was just lucky that you were able to see me?”

“Yes, it was lucky. I would be scolded for fraternization if my boss found out I arranged to meet you, even though I didn’t have any official reason to.”

“...huh.”

“So it wasn’t just a little lucky that we ran into each other by chance. See? I’m blessed with this kind of happiness already, so I don’t need to make wishes,” Shimaoka smiled.

“You are a very cunning guy, Shimaoka,” he felt like he needed to say it, though it was a little embarrassing.

“You think so?”

“Yes, I do!”

He was cunning, but he couldn’t dislike him.

“Well, then. Please excuse me, I’ll be leaving now.”

“Okay.”

“Please take care of yourself.”

“You, too.”

“I will, thank you,” Shimaoka said, before turning and walking down the snowy road towards the gate with sure steps.

*****

It would be a lie to say he didn’t have an ulterior motive. 

“So, Gii. We have a while before dinner. Want to go to the library and look some more stuff up?”

When Shouzou had invited him, he honestly couldn’t say that he wasn’t a little excited.

Hayama Takumi had been scheduled for library duty, after all.

Out of consideration for Aso-senpai, and trying to be careful around Hayama, he wasn’t going to just make up a reason to go to the library even when he didn’t need to (and he wasn’t under the misguided impression that Hayama didn’t dislike him), but if he went to the library, Hayama would be there. He was definitely aware of that. 

But, when they got to the library, Hayama was nowhere to be seen. 

While unconsciously searching for Hayama Takumi, Gii took a single step into the room.

“Gii! Over here!”

The one that was calling out to him so loudly (despite the rule about talking quietly) wasn’t his friend, Shouzou, and of course it wasn’t Hayama Takumi. It was Aso Kei.

Not even noticing the envious stares of his fellow third years at him calling Gii by his nickname, he continued.

“Look, look! Tadaa!” He brandished a copy of something in front of himself, happily.

“...ah. That.”

The Fox’s Hot Spring.

He really didn’t care anymore, even though he had been searching for the shrine so excitedly before, though it was so out of character for him.

Gii having lost his enthusiasm for it was unavoidable.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t going to participate, Aso-senpai?”

Not only wasn’t he going to participate, but Aso Kei had said he hated Sagara’s schemes. So why did he look like he was enjoying himself so much now?

“Oh, are you worried that you have a strong rival now that I’m playing?”

“Not really.”

“What’s wrong? You’re acting like it’s boring today.”

“That’s not… no, it’s not.”

“I’ve decided that I’m going to do the event with Hayama!”

“What?!” Hayama? “Hayama Takumi, from my class?” He asked, looking around.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“He agreed?”

“Haha. You could say that.”

“I see…” With Aso, you never knew. He could have agreed. “Hm.”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Gii?”

“Oh, it’s...” His stomach hurt. “It’s nothing…”

If he could see Hayama smiling, he supposed he didn’t have to be the one causing it.

It was alright if the person beside him was somebody else.

“Gii.”

Just then, Shouzou called him from somewhere behind the bookcases.

“Sorry, but I have to go now.”

“Got it, got it. I don’t know, I feel like I’m having fun now.” Aso smiled happily as he waved goodbye to Gii.

“Sorry for the wait, Shouzou.”

He saw Shouzou had several books in his hands as he got closer.

“What’s up, Gii? Your face says you’re thinking of giving up,” he gave Gii’s face a once-over.

As expected, his friend knew him well.

“It was spoiled for me, suddenly. I don’t care about searching for the shrine anymore.”

“Maybe it’s just not the time for it now? Did Shimaoka bring bad news?” Shouzou looked worried.

“No. That’s not why,” Gii said quietly, “He knew where the shrine is.”

“WHAT!?”

“Shh!”

“Sorry,” Shouzou lowered his voice, “How would he know that?”

“I also know why the shrine hasn’t ever been found.”

The door to the heating system shed was always locked. Not only that, but nobody but repairmen ever had any business in there. Even when it was running at full power in the winter, the students never even remembered the building existed.

“If you think about it, it’s a nice outcome, though.”

The Fox’s Hot Spring was now the hot spring powered heating system.

“So, what shall we do about these?” Shouzou asked, his gaze dropping to the books in his hands.

“If you want to keep going, I won’t stop you.”

“I’ll put them back.”

“Thought so.”

Gii sighed.

The powerful shrine. If he had been able to find this super powerful shrine that nobody else had ever been able to find, he could have felt a bit more confident in himself.

He could have believed that he was lucky enough to get what he wanted some day.

“By the way, Hayama left early because he wasn’t feeling well.”

“He has a cold?” So that’s why he wasn’t here.

“Katakura had a cold, and he sat next to him all day. Probably caught it from him.”

“...I see.”

He hoped it wasn’t bad.

“If he has a cold, Hayama won’t be searching for the shrine with Aso-senpai after all,” Shouzou teased.

“True,” Gii nodded, feelings mixed.

*****

“I was worse yesterday,” Katakura said to a classmate in the classroom the next morning, “Takumi was fine, and then all of a sudden, he started coughing really hard last night. Looks like I gave my cold to Takumi, and I got better.”

“So, Hayama took your place? Poor guy.”

“Yeah! I feel kinda bad about it…”

“So that’s why he’s absent today.”

“Yeah. Thought he shouldn’t push himself. He said his head was killing him this morning, and he couldn’t eat anything, so I got him some orange juice from the cafeteria after breakfast and left it for him. I wonder if I should have gotten him some porridge or something?”

“I don’t know about that, but maybe you should go see the school nurse and get some cold medicine for him? Oh, did he go see him himself?”

“Not yet. Oh, that’s right. Yamanaka-sensei will come to your room to check on you if you’re sick. I forgot.”

“That’s because you’re usually really healthy.”

Toshihisa laughed, “I’ll have to go see him during lunch and ask him to go see Takumi.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

Gii really didn’t mean to eavesdrop.

“And Takumi asked me to open the curtains before I left, even though he hates the cold.”

“Why? The rooms are much warmer with the curtains closed.”

“Right? He said his eyes were ‘lonely’. He hates the cold and snow, but he likes looking out at it. So if the curtains are open, he can see it, right? But then it’s cold if you have them open…”

“Yeah. The dorms aren’t heated very well.”

“I told him his cold would get worse, and made sure they were closed before I left, but I bet they’re open now.”

“Probably.”

“I don’t know when the nurse can come look at him, but at least I can get some medicine at lunch time and go check on him. And if those curtains are open, I’ll close them!”

“Ha ha ha.”

“Maybe I’ll ask one of the cafeteria ladies to make me some porridge. He probably shouldn’t take any cold medicine on an empty stomach, right?”

“Probably. Cold medicine is usually pretty strong. Hey, I’ll pitch in.”

“Why, Suzuki?”

“Can you buy some apples or something for me?”

“Yeah, but why do you want to pitch in?”

“To thank him for covering for me on library duty yesterday.”

“Really? It was your turn for library duty?”

“Yeah. I heard that he covered for me, even though it was really last minute,” Suzuki Takeshi pulled his student ID out of his breast pocket and extracted a five hundred yen coin from inside it, “Tell him ‘thanks’ and to take care for me?” he asked, handing the coin to Toshihisa.

“Good morning, Gii,” a classmate said.

“Ah, good morning,” Gii returned the greeting automatically.

“Hey, Gii. How long are you going to just stand there, holding all your stuff? Put it down somewhere.”

The calm manner of the comment made him finally realize it was Shouzou who was talking to him.

How long had he been standing here just holding all his things?

“Huh? Were you watching me, Shouzou?”

“You were just standing there, staring off into space, so he was watching over you for a while now,” Toshihisa laughed. “Thanks, Suzuki. Got it.” He took the five hundred yen coin from him.

“Don’t just watch me, you should say something!”

“I thought, being you, you must have been thinking about something really deep and important. I shouldn’t disturb you, yeah?” It was hard to tell if he was being serious or not.

“Well, thanks for the consideration,” Gii smiled wanly, finally setting his things down on his desk.

*****

“And I came all the way here to the first year classrooms to ask him to lunch…” Aso-senpai complained, packed lunch in hand, “Hayama’s out sick with a cold today? I should have just stayed in the dorm. I don’t have anything better to do, so I could have spent the morning nursing him back to health.”

“I don’t think he’d appreciate that, even if it was you, Aso-senpai.”

Aso continued, ignoring Gii’s reply, “No choice but to eat my lunch with you guys, then.” He pulled out an empty chair and sat down. “Let’s eat.”

He forced himself on Gii and Shouzou’s lunchtime.

He really did things his own way.

Since Shidou was a boarding school, there were two options for lunch. You could hike back to the cafeteria on the other side of the dorms and have a nice, hot lunch, or you could order a lunch box in the morning that you could eat in the classroom, though it would be cold.

“We didn’t ask you to eat with us, Aso-senpai,” Gii said, placing his own lunch box on the desk in front of him.

“Whatever,” Aso replied, carelessly, “Call it a bonus.”

He really didn’t make any sense.

If it were someone like Tonami, they’d be thrilled to be having lunch with Aso (Aso was popular, so he had a bit of a fan club outside of Tonami), but generally speaking, first years wouldn’t be happy to have an upperclassman interfering with their lunchtime, one of the few times that they could relax completely in the stressful boarding school.

“I’m sure there are some third years eating a lonely lunch in their own classrooms, so why don’t you go join them?”

“But, the view is prettier here,” Aso said, nonchalantly, “It’s not often I can eat while looking at your face.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Right, Akaike-kun?!

Shouzou knew that Gii didn’t particularly like that people talked about his looks.

“Ah, well… I guess,” he dodged.

“Yeah! I think I’ll go to the dorms after I finish eating.”

“To check on Hayama?”

“Yeah. I also want to talk to him about searching for the shrine.”

Oh, right.

Gii looked at Aso with a smile, “I’ve decided to bow out of the search, so good luck with it.”

*****

On his way to the classroom the astronomy club used for its meetings after school, Takabayashi Izumi saw Gii headed up the stairs at the back of the school building. The almighty Gii, who was gifted in both sports and artistic pursuits, but didn’t belong to any clubs.

For some reason, after school, he was headed to the top of the school building, where hardly anyone ever went.

“I wonder where he’s going?”

He hurriedly started to follow him.

Once he got to the top floor, Gii ducked into the science room.

“Huh.”

Maybe he had something he needed from the science club.

He started to turn on his heel, but changed his mind.

He went over to the entrance to the science room and peeked in from outside. Gii was talking to Nara Shunsuke, a second year, about something.

“Ammonium chloride? What do you need that for?” Nara asked.

“Just an experiment I want to do,” Gii answered.

“Hmm,” Nara folded his arms together, clad in the white lab coat they wore for the club activities, “I can’t just give a chemical that’s that expensive to a student who isn’t even in the science club, though.”

“If that’s the problem, I can pay for it.”

“That’s not the point,” Nara laughed lightly, then, “Takabayashi? Did you need something?” he called out to Takabayashi Izumi, who he could see trying to hide behind the open door.

Takabayashi was surprised that he had been noticed.

“Ah, um, I came to look for something I dropped,” he said.

“Is that so. Well, go ahead and come in. Did you lose it during class today?”

“Probably.”

“An eraser or something?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“If that’s so, take a look in the lost and found box over there. They put anything they find during cleaning time there.” 

Takabayashi glanced in the box, “Looks like it’s not here,” he shook his head.

“That’s too bad. You must have dropped it in the hall between classes. Or in another classroom. Why don’t you go check?”

“Yeah, I will. Thank you,” Takabayashi said, and left the science room.

Once he had disappeared from the hallway, Nara asked Gii, “Now, what were we talking about?”

Gii chuckled, “I don’t want you as an enemy, Nara-senpai.”

“Is that so?”

“For the most part, you come to club every day, exactly on time. You’re the only one who does.” None of the other club members had shown up yet. “You seem easy to figure out, but I get the feeling that you’re really not.”

“Is that a compliment? A complaint?”

“Neither.”

“Oh, I remembered. Ammonium chloride,” Nara clapped his hands, “I’ll give you however much you need. In exchange, give me that.”

His gaze dropped to Gii’s blazer.

“That?”

“The top button from your blazer.”

“If I’m missing a button, I’ll get in trouble during the uniform check.”

“You can get past that easily, can’t you?” With that, he reached out and pulled the button off Gii’s blazer.

“Wow. You’re pushy,” Gii said, eyes wide.

“Do you want the ammonium chloride or not?” Nara asked.

“I do,” Gii smiled wryly, gesturing at him to keep the button.

“I’m going to give this to Ishikawa-senpai, so don’t go overboard, Saki.”

“What do you mean, go overboard?”

“Anyway, I’m going to give this to Ishikawa-senpai as a good luck charm for his university exam. You tell them that you gave it to him if anyone asks.”

“My blazer button doesn’t have any special powers.” 

It wasn’t a powerful wishing shrine.

“That’s okay, it only matters what he thinks.”

“I don’t really get it.”

“This button holds more power than some shrine that nobody even knows if they’ll find. And Ishikawa-senpai doesn’t have time to search for the shrine, anyway.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Should he tell him that the shrine was in the boiler shed?

“I’ll give it back after his test,” Nara laughed.

“After all the tests are finished? Or after he gets into his first choice school?”

“Whichever. I’m not going to take it from him if he decides he wants to keep it, though.”

“Give me a break. Buttons aren’t free, you know.”

“Don’t be so stingy.”

“I’m not being stingy. Just stating a fact.”

“Well, on the off chance it doesn’t come back to you, I’ll give you mine. That work?”

“...Understood.” He didn’t actually understand at all. “That’s fine.”

In a place like a boarding school, you couldn’t really say ‘no’ to an upperclassman, anyway.

*****

He started at the other hand reaching for the same dictionary.

“Oh, Misu-kun,” Aso exclaimed happily.

“Ah. Aso-senpai. Hello.”

“Did you need my pillow for something, Misu-kun?” Aso asked the polite first year student.

“Your pillow? The dictionary?”

“Yes,” Aso nodded, “I don’t have anything to do, so I’m bored. Thought I might take a nap.”

He glanced around the library.

Misu wasn’t sure how to respond to someone who claimed so cheerfully to be bored.

Sagara’s favorite, Misu Arata. He was bound to be participating in Sagara’s event.

“Were you looking for something?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Are you looking for the shrine?”

“I am.”

“I don’t think the dictionary will help you with that.”

“I need it for something else. To prepare for tomorrow’s lessons.”

“I see,” Aso gave the serious favorite of Sagara’s a once-over, “You’re actually kind of pretty,” he said.

“Huh?”

“Sagara does like the pretty ones. I don’t like that part of him, either.”

“Um, Aso-senpai?”

“I plan on teaming up with Hayama-kun for Sagara’s shrine-hunt.”

...Hayama-kun?

“Sagara is really persistent, so I thought I might as well join in for once. I’m trying to be positive.”

“Um…”

“But then Hayamu-kun went and caught a cold, so I went to visit him, but I got there just as Dr. Nakayama was leaving after finishing his exam, and he shooed me away, saying Hayama-kun needed to rest after taking his medicine.”

Ah. It must be the first year, Hayama-kun, after all.

“...Umm.”

“It would be boring to do it by myself. And then there’s Gii.”

Misu’s expression changed for a split second, hearing Gii’s name.

“He suddenly said he’s quitting! He’s retiring, now? After getting so far? Now it’s double boring.”

Saki was quitting?

“No partner, no rival, there’s no point in even doing it anymore!”

“Is… that so?”

“I know you can’t do anything about it, but I just wanted to vent to someone, you know?” Aso sighed.

“Wouldn’t it be better to vent to Tonami-senpai?” Misu asked, smiling mildly.

“Ah, am I bothering you?”

“No, it’s no bother, I just thought that Tonami-senpai would be okay with you venting at him for however long it takes.”

“I guess,” Aso responded non-committedly, “That guy, though. He seems friendly and all, but he actually loves to scold me. I hate it. It’s a pain in the ass afterwards. He lets me vent at him, but then starts in on me after!”

“Huh, is that so.”

“We’ve been stuck together since kindergarten. My birthday is at the end of the school year, so he seemed to decide he had to take care of me from the beginning, because he was older, and he’s still doing it now.”

“He’s liked you since you were little, huh?”

“You think so? I just think he does it for his own self-satisfaction.”

“I don’t think that’s very nice to say about someone as devoted as Tonami-senpai.”

“I don’t think it’s very nice of him to treat me like a kindergartener,” Aso said, causing Misu to laugh outright.

“That’s a good point,” he agreed. “Anyway, may I borrow your pillow for a while, Aso-senpai?”

“Oh. The dictionary?” Aso asked. “I guess I’ll just hand it over as thanks for listening to me today.”

He pulled the dictionary from the shelf and handed it to Misu.

“Thank you.”

“Misu-kun, do you like Sagara?”

“What?”

“You really seem to admire him, but while he is a pretty impressive guy, he’s not that great, right?”

“Ah.” It was probably an ‘eye of the beholder’ difference, but, “It’s just that he’s so helpful and eager all the time.”

“Hmm.”

“I think he’s a really good leader.”

“That’s probably true, but I don’t really get what’s so good about that. Lone wolves piss me off.”

“Thus, the partnership with Hayama-kun?”

“Exactly.”

“You may look gentle and cute on the outside, but you’re actually the type that wants to tame the wild wolves, aren’t you?”

Aso nodded carelessly at Misu’s observation. “You’re kinda black-hearted yourself, yeah?” he asked, “That’s good. I like that better,” he laughed.

*****

“Ishikawa-senpai!” Someone called out to him as he walked down the bustling first floor hallway of the dorm.

“Nara?” Ishikawa checked the time on his wristwatch, “That’s rare. It’s not even five o’clock yet, and you’re already done with club?”

“No, I have something I wanted to give you right away, so I left club to come bring it to you.”

“For me?”

Nara pulled something small out of his pocket, with a pleased expression, “Here,” he handed it to Ishikawa.

“What’s that?”

“The most powerful amulet in the world.”

“Huh?” Ishikawa blurted, “It’s a waste to give me such an amazing item, then.”

On Nara’s outstretched palm lay a single blazer button from Shidou’s uniform.

“No need to be sarcastic. This button belongs to Saki Giichi.”

“It’s Saki-kun’s?” Ishikawa’s eyes darted to the button, “But if this is Saki-kun’s button, he’ll get in trouble at the uniform check…”

“I know as our dorm advisor, you’re tempted to be worried about the rules, but let's just ignore them this once.”

“I can’t do that, Nara.”

“In any case, this button belongs to a world-class amazing student. If you have this, it’ll be more powerful than even a wish from that mysterious shrine.”

“You think?”

“Shidou will never see another student of that level again, even if it’s around for hundreds of years.”

A world-class celebrity and scion of his family. It was a bit of a mystery why someone like that would come to a backwoods boarding school like this.

On top of his birth and breeding, he also easily attracted people with his charisma, and was an exceptional student.

“Well, he is a bit of a miracle student.”

“Let’s rely on Saki Giichi’s super luck, Senpai.”

Nara wrapped Ishikawa’s hand tightly around the button, “Wish for success getting into your first-choice school. Wish to have no regrets left from high school.”

“Nara…?

“It’s not good to be too nice.”

“I don’t think I’m particularly nice.”

“You’ve watched over me since we first came here. I owe you. I want you to graduate with flying colors.”

“...Nara.”

“Feeling compassion is good, but compassion can lead to misunderstandings. Be careful.”

“You mean… Nara?”

“I need to get back to my club now. Excuse me.”

As he stood alone in the hallway, hand wrapped around the button, the public phone next to Ishikawa suddenly rang.

******

He raised his fist to knock on the door, then rethinking, lowered it.

He stood in front of room 421. “Katakura should be at archery club right now,” Gii muttered.

He carried a plastic bag with bottled water from the convenience store in one hand.

Hayama Takumi should be alone in his room right now, but that actually was making him hesitate more.

Was he sleeping? Was he awake?

“I’d just be bothering him…”

He’d come to visit him on his sickbed, but there’s no way Hayama Takumi would be happy to get a visit from Saki Giichi.

He’d brought the water all the way here, but, “I can’t give it to him myself.”

With a big sigh, and without even knocking, Gii turned on his heel and walked away.

******

The ball of paper fell into the waste bin with a rustle.

Startled by Misu’s actions as he walked into the room, his roommate Kodama’s hand stopped on his homework, “Huh? Misu, you don’t need that anymore?”

Just the day before, Misu had been examining the photocopy intently. ‘The Fox’s Hot Spring’, or something.

“Yeah, I guess I don’t need it,” Misu pulled out the chair at his own desk, “Homework going well, Kodama?”

“Not at all,” Kodama’s shoulders slumped dejectedly, “Help me with what I don’t get later, Misu?”

“Sure, as much as I understand of it,” Misu replied, opening his own textbook on his desk.

For some reason, as soon as he heard that Saki Giichi was dropping out of the search, he lost interest in it as well.

He had started the search before learning that Saki was going to participate as well, so it wasn’t like they were rivals or anything, but when he heard that Saki, who usually avoided Sagara’s events like the plague was going to participate this time, he had felt a little conflicted for some reason, and now he just up and quit so easily…

“Maybe he just found the shrine, super easily.” 

It wasn’t impossible, since it was Saki Giichi.

Or, he got bored because he couldn’t find it.

Even so.

Sagara must have been very disappointed that his favorite had dropped out, but he wouldn’t have been so disappointed to hear that Misu had.

In the past, Misu would have felt hurt by this realization, but for some reason he wasn’t this time.

‘M...Misu is written with these characters?’

Just a few weeks earlier, a junior high school student had confessed his feelings to him during the entrance exam.

‘My name is Shingyouji Kanemitsu. Kane, meaning “both”, and Mitsu, meaning “to be full”. Kanemitsu.’

The crying junior high student had been gazing at Misu earnestly and innocently through his tears.

Even now, he laughed, thinking about it.

‘The ‘Mi’ is the character for ‘three’, and the ‘su’ is ‘island’. Not the easier version, though, it’s the one with extra strokes. Misu. I’ll tell you my first name if you get into the school.”

He wondered if he had passed the test.

“It’ll be more peaceful if he didn’t.”

He wouldn’t have to go to the trouble of telling him his first name.

He wanted to avoid troublesome things altogether.

Misu’s foremost goal was to finish high school with as little difficulty and as peacefully as possible.

‘I like you!”

That direct, earnest gaze had somehow nudged his own feelings despite himself.

He wasn’t going to accept any lovey-dovey gifts of chocolate or the like, though.

“What a weird kid,” he laughed, remembering.

*****

When he tried to get up, his head hurt.

It felt like someone was hitting the inside of his skull with a hammer.

As a bonus, he was really sluggish, too.

“I’m thirsty…”

A glance at the clock by his pillow told him why Toshihisa wasn’t there. He was still at his club practice.

If Toshihisa had been there, he could have asked him for help, but since he wasn’t, he had no choice but to get something for himself.

He really wanted to drink something cold.

Thanks to the medicine he got from the school nurse, his cough was a lot better, but his fever made him overheated and a little floaty, like his feet weren’t actually touching the ground as he walked. He wasn’t sure if it felt good or unsettling.

“I should be okay if I walk slowly.”

Moving slowly, in an effort to not make his head hurt worse, Takumi put on the thick jacket that was within reach, grabbed his coin purse, and unsteadily left room 421.

*****

“Hello, this is the Shidou Gakuin student dorm.”

There wasn’t anyone on phone duty at the dorm, so whoever was nearby at the time would answer. 

Because of this, a surprised voice came over the phone, “Huh? Ishikawa?”

“Tonami? Is that you?”

Ishikawa was surprised, too. The hand holding the button unconsciously squeezed it tighter. 

“Uh, yeah. It’s me. Ah…. how are you?”

“I’m good. And you, Tonami?”

“I’m fine. I managed to avoid catching a cold.”

“That’s good. Oh, who should I call for you? Aso?”

“No, I, um… Ishikawa, you haven’t decided what school you’re aiming for yet?”

“Yeah. Not yet, I still have time.”

“Isn’t it hard, staying at the school and studying, while also doing your dorm advisor duties?”

“Not really. I’m used to it. If I went home, I have a feeling I’d be more likely to laze around instead of studying. I get further just being in my dorm room, so staying here is the better choice.”

“Heh…”

“And you?”

“I’m more distracted when I’m there, I think.”

“You end up worrying about Aso when you’re here,” he teased, and laughed lightly.

“No, I mean, he’s so dangerous, I can’t take my eyes off him, you know?” Tonami excused.

“If you like him so much, you should confess to him,” Ishikawa said lightly.

“Eh!?” Tonami was genuinely shocked.

Ishikawa was shocked at himself for saying it as well.

“I..I’m sorry, Tonami, um…”

“Why? What would I confess to Aso?

“Huh? What do you mean, what?” It was obvious. “That you want to stay close even after you graduate, or that you want to go out with him or such kind of confession, of course.”

“Eeeehhhh!? Why would I say such things to Aso?” He sounded so upset that Ishikawa got upset in turn.

“But you have a crush on him, don’t you?”

That was why he was always so concerned about him.

“No!” Tonami denied, “I don’t have a crush on Aso!”

“L...liar!”

“Why would I lie about that? What the hell, Ishikawa. You’ve been thinking that all along?”

“Not just me, everyone who knows you two here at Shidou thinks that!”

“No! You’re wrong! The one I like is….” Tonami cut himself off suddenly.

“Tonami?”

He didn’t respond.

“Hello? Tonami?”

“Anyway!” Tonami said indignantly, “Aso isn’t the one I like! Fix that misconception right here and now, Ishikawa!”

“Ah, okay. Do you want me to explain to everyone in my capacity as the dorm advisor?”

“No, I wouldn’t ask that of you. It’s enough if you understand.”

“...huh?”

“In any case, I’m coming back to Shidou after the entrance exam is over. You’re not going home after the exam, either, right? You’ll be there till graduation?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Great. Bye.”

“Eh? Tonami? Who were you calling for?”

“Never mind. I’m hanging up now.”

“Didn’t you call for a reason? It’s after hours, but I can make an exception and get them for you.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t care anymore. More importantly, let’s do our best on our tests, Ishikawa.”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Bye.”

“Later,” Ishikawa said, hanging up the phone.

The hand that was gripping the button was shaking.

*****

“Gii, I found you!” Shouzou called out to Gii as he saw him coming down the stairs of the dorm.

At a second glance, he noticed that Gii was carrying a bag from the convenience store with a bottle of water in it.

“Hey, when did you go out?”

Were they even allowed to go out on weekdays?

“I didn’t go out,” Gii said, “anyway, were you looking for me?” 

“Nothing urgent.”

“We’d see each other in our room tonight, whether we want to or not.”

“Right,” Shouzou laughed, “So, that legendary shrine that you were looking for, it seems like it actually is based on a real one.”

“You were still looking into that?”

“I wasn't exactly looking for anything, but when I went to the library to get something to read, I just happened to figure a few things out.” Shouzou turned to head back down the stairs with Gii. “They’re like Romeo and Juliet.”

“Who is?”

“The abandoned baby and the son of the village chief.”

“Hmm.”

“It seems like that baby was the child of the lord that was assassinated, and that some vassal or other snuck her out and hid her during the conflict.”

“With the fox couple in the mountains?”

“Yeah, yeah, with the foxes. Of course not,” Shouzou laughed. “There was a couple that owed that lord a favor of some sort that lived deep in the mountains, and she was taken there. The one the story calls the son of the village chief was actually the son of the person who betrayed the lord and took his castle from him, who met the grown up baby as he was escaping an assassination attempt by yet another faction.”

“So she fell in love with the son of her father’s enemy? It’s no wonder her parents didn't approve.”

“Obviously. But she also chose to give up and turn herself into a little flower.”

“And those circumstances led to Kon’s tears turning into the hot spring? Pretty normal folk story, right?” Gii retorted.

“Yeah, that would be the usual story,” Shouzou nodded.

“So it’s actually just a normal hot spring. Not a magic one that can heal your body and mind, or make wishes come true.”

It was a story that was made up later, by people who were thankful for the spring.

“So then people are just putting all their faith in the spring solving all their problems, and not putting any effort in themselves, and just bringing about their own downfall.”

“Gii, are you mad?”

“No, just a little self-reflection.”

It wasn't that he was trusting in the power of the spring, exactly, but it was possible he was using it as a tool of sorts to bolster his lagging determination.

It wasn’t like trying hard meant that things would go as he liked in the end. There were some things that wouldn't happen, regardless of how hard he tried. But that didn't mean that he shouldn't try anyway.

He had been planning to pass the convenience store bag in his hand on to Shouzou to give to Hayama, but…

“That’s not right.”

“Huh? What’s not right?” 

Just as Shouzou spoke, Aso bounced into view from the entryway of the dorm.

He looked to be in a great mood, carrying some mandarin oranges in a net bag in his hand. It was an appropriate gift for Hayama Takumi, who had a cold, so one could easily imagine where he was headed.

Suddenly, there was a commotion from down the hall.

“Did you not hear me say to apologize!” an angry voice echoed through the hallway.

It could only be…

Gii hurried down the hallway.

The dorm hallways were usually busy after classes ended, and a crowd had quickly gathered. Sure enough, in the middle of the crowd was a familiar sight.

An angry looking upperclassman and Hayama Takumi, head hanging.

“Listen, I’m not being unreasonable here! You’re the one who ran into me, and now you won’t even apologize!”

Hayama’s color didn't look good.

“He must have a pretty high fever…” Gii muttered.

Hayama’s legs were shaking.

“Hey, give it up already. How long do you plan to just stand there!?”

The upperclassman grabbed Hayama’s shoulder.

Normally, Hayama would have slapped away the hand uncomfortably, but…

“Um, I’m…”

Hayama’s arms remained lowered.

“What, you have something to complain about!?” the upperclassman pushed Hayama.

The pain of his back hitting the wall finally made Hayama look up at the other boy.

“You’ve got some nerve! You won’t apologize, and now you’re glaring at me.”

The upperclassman raised his fist, and Hayama’s eyes shot to the people surrounding them.

“Hold on, hold on!” Aso frantically dodged around the crowd, and headed towards the two.

The prince appears.

Gii sighed softly.

No matter how difficult the situation, Hayama had never sought help from those around him. He had never even looked at those around himself like that before.

Aso was that important.

“...I lose.”

This made him want to just give up.

If Hayama could feel safe and carefree, it didn’t matter who was by his side.

“Ogata! Why are you picking on a sick guy?”

“Aso-senpai…” Ogata pulled his fist back to his side. “But, he…”

“Hayama was trying to apologize just a minute ago, but you weren’t listening.”

“You're kidding, right? I’ve never seen Hayama apologize for anything.”

“He started to say ‘I’m sorry’, but you just kept jabbering at him.”

“Jabbering?”

“He has a cold, and a fever, and just bumped into you because he's unsteady. Don't be a baby, Ogata.”

“A fever?”

“He doesn't feel well, so I’m sure that's why he didn't overreact like usual,” Aso pointed out, leaving Ogata surprised.

He had been angry, and not paying attention.

“I guess he didn't hit me on purpose.”

“Right?” Aso glanced around leisurely. “Fight’s over. Stop rubbernecking.”

If Hayama could feel safe and carefree, it didn’t matter who was by his side…

He truly thought so, and it wasn’t just pretty words, but as the crowd dispersed, he found himself unable to move away.

“Are you okay, Hayama-kun?” Aso held his hand out to the dazed and slumped Hayama Takumi, as though to help him to his feet.

But Hayama was still looking around himself.

Even though Aso was right there in front of him, he was looking around like he was still trying to find someone to help him.

Gii’s eyes met Hayama’s.

That gaze that he never thought would be aimed at him stopped there.

He hoped it wasn't his imagination.

“Fever must have really gotten to him, if someone as obstinate as Hayama was actually going to apologize for something,” Shouzou said, teasingly.

If that was so…

Gii didn't imagine that Hayama’s gaze followed him as he took a step.

Hayama’s gaze stayed on him as he approached.

Aso smiled wanly as he followed Hayama’s gaze and found Gii at the end of it.

“Oh, it’s you, Gii.”

Don’t get in my way.

“Excuse me, Aso-senpai. As the class representative of Hayama’s class, I’ll take responsibility and get him back to his room.”

“What the hell,” Aso looked displeased.

“First of all, you couldn’t carry him, Aso-senpai.”

Aso Kei was slight and cute.

“Ehhh, that’s not fair,” Aso glared at Gii. “You thief,” he declared, bitterly.

*****

“...Huh?”

When he came to, he was on his bed, with the familiar ceiling above him.

“Why?”

Hadn’t he left his room to get something cold to drink from the vending machine?

So why was he now laying on his bed?

Also.

“I feel like I had a weird dream.”

He couldn’t remember anything about the dream, but he felt a mysterious uneasiness and yet somehow also felt a conflicting sense of relief.

Moving just the slightest made his head pound.

“Bathroom…”

He carefully got up from his bed, trying to not make his headache worse.

He noticed it as he was getting back into bed after he had finished his business.

There was a clear plastic bottle of water, with the label already removed and disposed of, on his desk.

“A gift from Toshihisa?”

There was no sign that Toshihisa had come back to the room, though.

He then noticed a piece of white paper about the size of a postcard on the desk under the bottle.

‘Beware! This is not drinking water. Open the cap and carefully pour the white powder from the foil packet into the bottle, close the cap and wait. What will happen? Wait and see!’

Just like the memo said, next to the bottle was a little foil packet, like the salt packets that come with boiled eggs.

“This isn’t Toshihisa’s handwriting.”

But if it wasn't him, who had come in and left these things here?

It was a shame, but Takumi didn't know any of his other classmates’ handwriting.

He didn't really know them at all.

It was likely someone messing with him, but for some reason when he looked at the writing in the memo, he mysteriously felt less uneasy about it.

“Fine. I don’t know what will happen, but I may as well do it.”

He opened the cap of the bottle and poured the white powder in as the instructions said.

After a while, snowflakes started forming in the clear liquid.

“Wow! What’s this?”

More and more star-shaped crystals formed near the neck of the bottle, and settled to the bottom, just like snowflakes falling through the clear liquid.

It was beautiful.

“Amazing. I can watch the snow falling without opening the curtains.”

Takumi slowly returned to his bed, bottle in hand.

He set it on his nightstand, careful not to shake it, lay down and watched the snow fall.

“Is it real snow?”

But when he touched the bottle, it wasn't particularly cold.

He kept observing the endlessly falling snow, not growing tired of it in the slightest.

He didn't know who had given this to him, but he was very happy.

“I need to get better soon.”

He felt stronger and brighter already, as though someone were cheering him on.

This was possibly the happiest he’d ever felt.

*****

“Because of you, I couldn't give him these, Gii,” Aso complained over dinner in the cafeteria. 

The mandarin oranges sat conspicuously on the table.

“You could go to his room now,” Gii smiled a little bitterly. “Since it’s you, I’m sure you could give them to him at any time. You're the upperclassman he's least on guard with for some reason.”

He heard that a lot.

Aso glared at Gii.

“You give them to him, Gii,” he pushed the oranges towards him.

“Are you pouting?” Gii laughed.

His eyes had told him to not follow them. Not only Aso, but his best friend, Akaike Shouzou, had also not been allowed to come with.

“If it was going to turn out like this, I should have taken the chance to tousle his hair or something.”

“Huh?”

“You’re lucky, Gii, getting to carry him like that.”

“You're still hung up on that, Aso-senpai?”

“I am! I’ll keep complaining for five years at least!”

Gii laughed, “That’s troublesome.” 

He didn't sound troubled in the least.

Aso shrugged helplessly.

“If you're my rival, it’s hopeless.”

“What do you mean?”

“You're not just curious like I am, Gii.”

“I still don’t know what you're talking about.”

“It’s so easy to see, why can’t Sagara get it? You have no interest in people, you loser.”

“Aso-senpai?”

“Doesn't matter how much Sagara likes you, it’s not going to happen.”

“...yeah.”

“Even I like Hayama more than Sagara.”

“Aso-senpai!?”

But Gii is better for Hayama-kun than me. He thought it, but couldn't say it aloud.

“I wanted to search for the shrine with Hayama-kun.”

“You still could. The event is halfway over, but Hayama is the type to keep his promises, whatever his other eccentricities.”

Aso looked embarrassed. “We didn't make any promises,” he admitted.

“...Huh?”

“I was just showing off.”

“Does that count as showing off?”

“If you’re my rival, yes.”

He wanted to show that he was in a higher position.

“You are interesting, as usual, Aso-senpai.”

“Ah… I wanted to get to know Hayama-kun better,” Aso said, sighing deeply.

...He’d never considered unrequited love painful.

Knowing that pain had also taught him how difficult it was to stay hopeful.

“I also want to get to know Hayama better,” Gii said, and Aso looked up at him brightly.

“I see!” he exclaimed.

It was okay if it was him.

Gii didn't want somebody else on the receiving end of Hayama Takumi’s gaze, it had to be himself.


End file.
